1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to fluidic devices that can be used to separate target components from flowing fluids. More specifically, the invention is directed to methods for and systems using fluidic and microfluidic devices to separate particulate, molecular and cellular material from a flowing fluid.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Chemical and biological separation and concentration has historically included methods such as solid-phase extraction, filtration chromatography, flow cytometry and others. Known methods of magnetic separation in biological fields include aggregation in batches, capture on magnetized surfaces, and particle deflection (or “steering”) in single-channel devices. Typically, the particle of interest is chemically bound to magnetic microparticles or nanoparticles.
Existing methods are typically batch processes rather than continuous free-flow processes. This limits their usefulness in in-line systems. Moreover, existing methods typically operate at the macroscale, where diffusion distances require slower flow speeds, resulting in limited throughput. This problem is compounded in single-channel devices. The present invention improves on known methods and apparatuses for magnetic separation of particles from a fluid by providing a continuous, free-flow, higher throughput separation.
Published US Patent Application No. 2009-0220932 to Ingber, et al. and published US Patent Application No. 2009-0078614 to Varghese et al, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety, disclose fluid separation devices and methods for separating particles from a flowing fluid. These devices and methods involve directing an input fluid, containing target particles, and a collection fluid into a common microfluidic channel. The input fluid and the collection fluid flow side-by-side through the microfluidic channel and a magnetic field is used to pull magnet target particles or target particles bound to target particles from the input fluid to the collection fluid before the input fluid and the collection fluid are separated and directed through separate outlets.